What the New MoPac Managed Lanes Mean for Your Commute

The road to opening the new MoPac lanes hasn’t been a smooth one, but a portion of the northbound lane has finally opened, and the remaining lanes are scheduled to be open in early 2017. With the end of the construction in sight, many commuters are wondering “so what?”

While some initial reports indicate that the partially opened northbound lane has improved traffic flow, the benefit to transit commuters could be even larger.

The new lanes, which are tolled according to traffic flow, are always free for transit and for emergency vehicles. And having an extra, free-flowing lane means that Express buses will no longer be stuck in the same MoPac tedium as single occupancy vehicles – instead they will fly past traffic in the new express lanes. At the same time, Capital Metro is bulking up its Express Bus routes, which means even more transit options for far-flung commuters.

That could be a game changer for suburban commuters. Imagine bypassing MoPac traffic and instead enjoying free WiFi or your favorite book as you zip by everyone else!

Spotlight

Our latest Commute Hero is actually a group of heroes: the folks at Capital Metro who are helping to make this time of year merry and bright for Central Texans. From Stuff the Bus, which helps provide food for families in need, to their work to increase frequency on Austin’s most-traveled routes, the busy elves […]

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